Watford Palace Theatre has announced John Hunt has been elected Chair of the Board of Trustees, supported by Carol Lingwood and Kenny Rebecca Dada as Deputies.

This promotion to the position of Chair – with Deputy support from Carol and Kenny – offers the organisation stability during these unusual times as these are trustees with long standing relationships with Watford Palace Theatre and the area.

John was born in Watford and has been a trustee of the venue for seven years and Chair of the Theatre’s Governance Committee for the past 4 years.

Carol Lingwood has served on the board since 2016, and Kenny cut her teeth in Watford Palace Theatre youth theatre before gaining her degree from Oxford, and joined the Board in 2018. Carol stays as a Deputy Chair with special responsibility for Board recruitment and trustee succession planning.

Kenny will become Deputy Chair with a special focus on the development of youth and community work.

Current chair Deborah Lincoln is stepping down to focus on other charitable commitments in the sector, after leading the Board since 2015

Brigid Larmour, Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Watford Palace Theatre, said: “John has been a brilliant long-term supporter and dedicated Chair of the Theatre’s Governance Committee, so we are delighted to be welcoming him now as Chair of the Board. We are determined to work ever more closely with our local audiences and creative communities and John is exactly the right person to be leading this next phase.”

New Chair John Hunt said: ”I’m so excited to take over the role of Chair of a Theatre that has always been part of my life, as I was born in Watford and raised in Croxley Green. With the effects of the pandemic still with us, there are plenty of challenges ahead, but we are in good shape financially and have a great team, with Brigid Larmour at the helm. I’m especially excited to have the opportunity to build on the work of recent years in developing ties with the various communities that make up the population of Watford and its environs. I’d like to thank Deborah for her commitment and inspiration to the board over the past seven years. She has worked tirelessly and seen us successfully through a very difficult period involving the closure of the Theatre for many months.”

source Theatre Weekly